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| Models for Hebrew letters cut in wood by Guillaume Le Be, typefounder of Paris, in 1573. |
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Amsterdam is great city known for tolerance and an openness to the world. It has made its fortunes time and time again by trading with with world. The Netherlands became a unified entity under the Duke of Burgundy in 1433 as part of the Holy Roman Empire. Amsterdam was the home of Erasmus who was one of the central figures of Renaissance philosophy. Protestantism made inroads in the Netherlands. First the Lutheranism, then Anabaptism, the Mennonite faith and finally Calvinism rolled through Dutch society in waves. Charles V, the Duke of Burgundy and Kings of Spain, and later Holy Roman Emperor strongly opposed Protestantism. This led to increasingly oppressive governance in the Netherlands on the part of the Spanish crown and ultimately a Dutch revolt which began a long era of religious war on the continent. After fifty years of conflict between Spain and the Netherlands the conflict spilled out into a larger European conflict, the Thirty Years War.
Many Spanish Jews had fled to the Netherlands in the era before the inquisition and in the face of the establishment of the inquisition in Spain. New Christians were able to leave either more comfortable lives as Christians without the inquisition or to return to their Jewish faith. The Spanish war against the Netherlands put the Jews clearly on the side of the revolt against Spain. Anti-Spanish piracy in the Caribbean was in part managed by Jewish interests in Amsterdam. Despite the inevitable economic setbacks of wartime this era proved to one of great and rising prosperity for the Dutch.
Printing came to the Netherlands as early as 1470 though the actual date is subject to some uncertainty. A number of books were printed by a figure known as "Printer of Speculum," in Utrecht. Among these are a title "Speculum," hence the appellation, and a Latin Aesop. The two great printing firms of the 16th century were Plantin and Elzevir. "Plantin's agents went as far as North Africa where they sold Hebrew Bibles to the numerous Jewish congregations." Steinberg, p. 127. From the beginning Dutch printing was a multi-lingual enterprise. In addition to Greek, Latin and Hebrew there were also books printed in the Dutch vernacular and even in additional languages. Plantin published the
Biblia Regia, a polyglot bible, an event neatly encapsulating Dutch printing. The Netherlands was a powerful educational magnet and the many Classical works printed by Plantin and Elzevir served as ambassadors when the many foreign students returned to their native countries with them. Both enterprises were tremendous financial successes and provided a model for the successful commercialization of printing. They also used quality type, initially provided by exacting French type-cutters. They both has an interest in quality illustrations and in the promotion of their brand by uniformly sized volumes and prominently presented printers emblems.
In the seventeenth century Dutch printing showed itself best in the printing of maps. The era is referred to as the Golden Age of Cartography. Willem Janszoon Blaeu, one of the premier cartographic printers (a student of Tycho Brahe) made improvement to the design of the printing press. "He added a counterweight to the pressure bar in order to make the platen rise automatically." Jean-Pierre Luminet, p. 3. An example to Blaeu's printing press is included as item 252 in the important
Printing and the Mind of Man exhibit. Menasseh Ben Israel became the first active Jewish printer in Amsterdam in the 1630s. The earliest Hebrew typefaces were Italian, primarily from Venice. Robert Estienne and Guillaume Le Be in France developed typeface with the aid of Italian type cutters. Later Hebrew type was of low quality. However, Joseph Athias, a Jewish printer, bought out the Elzevir type-foundry in 1680 and kept up a standard of better quality "Amsterdam Type." The type used in the volumes below are printed out of that reservoir of type.
The eighteenth century was the era when the Dutch accumulated their colonial empire. The state moved towards democracy and enlightenment under increasing French cultural influence. It was a strong era for Hebrew printing with several Jewish printing firms in production throughout the century. The Proops family was the most successful of these continuing in business for three generations. Below we list two of their products. Dutch Hebrew printing served elements of the German market and was a source for quality printed edition to Eastern European Jewry where printing as it entered the area continued to spread but at a low aesthetic level.
Abravanel, Isaac.
Ateret zekenim: od limed da'at et ha-am mah hem Tsurot ha-yesodot asher adam to'eh mi-derekh ha-sekhel ve-yadu'a otam. Amsterdam, Bi-defus yetome Shelomoh Propes [Proops], 1739. Duodecimo, rebacked in twentieth-century hand painted paper covered boards, ii, vi, 114 pp., with short tears to two of the later leaves. Hardbound. Good. Text is in Hebrew. This work was first published in 1556/7 and was not printed again until this edition was issued. A commentary on the Biblical idea of the unknowability of the divine. (83512) $250.00
Hirsh, Magnus.
Sefer Divre negidim. Tokhen inyano: Rishon, petihat ha-ma'atik ... Shenit, kitsur zikhron divre ha-yamim le-herut Yehudim be-Republik Batave; Shelishit, ha'atakat divre negide ha-am Batave ... al devar Herut Yehudim be-dat toshavim; Revi'it, ha'atakat date ha-umah Batave ha-metukanim ka-et li-retson ha-am; hamishit, luah be-seder alfa beta perush ha-milot zarot mi-leshon ha-hodesh. Huva el ha-defus a.y. ha-ma'tik Tsevi Hirsh ... Ma'ilfeld. Amsterdam, Be-vet uvi-defus Shelomoh Avraham Propes [Proops], 1799. Duodecimo, rebacked in hand-painted paper covered boards, 144 pp [72 leaves] Hardbound. Very Good-. Text is in Hebrew with a little Dutch at the bottom of the final page. This work is a translation into Hebrew of the Dutch parliamentary hearings that led to the 1796 emancipation of Dutch Jewry. This was in the ear of the Batavian Republic. Arend Huusen makes the point (in an article in "Dutch Jewry: Its History and Secular Culture (1500-2000), edited by Jonathan Irvine Israel, Salverda Reinier) that the Orthodox community of the Netherlands were unenthusiastic beneficiaries of a change in their status that they had not requested. It is possible that this translation was a product of the Orthodox consternation and a corresponding struggle to understand how to deal with the new civic reality that they found themselves in. (83514) $450.00
Ibn Habib, Jacob ben Solomon.
Sefer En Ya'akov. Helek Sheni. Amsterdam, Shelomoh ben Yosef Kats Props, 1725. Small octavo, half brown leather with gold lettering and decorations worn at the edges and ends, marbled paper covered boards, wear at the open corners, aeg with stamped designs, newer endpapers with the title-page reattached professionally, 340, 3 leaves [680, 6 pp.], table of abbreviations. Hardbound. Good. Text is in Hebrew. The second of three volumes. The Spine lettering reads "En Yisrael" and a worn hand-written piece of paper has been laid down on the title page that appears likely to have read the same. Another work by that title was published by Proops in the same years. However, this inserted attribution appears to be in error. The pagination as laid out in Vinograd matches
En Ya'akov and not
En Yisrael. (83516) $150.00
Isaac Ben Eliezer.
Sefer Ha-Gan. Amsterdam, Ari Lib ben Ze'ev Wolf Segal, 1713. 16mo, tan leather spine, worn green decorative paper covered boards, 16 pp., old rabbinic hand notes on the free endpapers, loss to the rear pastedown endpaper. Hardbound. Good. Translated from the original Judeo-German [Early Yiddish] by Moses Sertel. Isaac ben Eliezer was an, "Ethical writer at Worms; flourished from 1460 to 1480. He attended the lectures of Moses ben Eliezer ha-Darshan (Zunz, "Z. G." p. 105), whom he praises in high terms. Isaac wrote in German an ethical and ascetic treatise under the title "Sefer ha-Gan" (Cracow, about 1580). It is divided into seven parts, one for each day in the week. Translated into Hebrew by Moses Saertels, it was subsequently printed, together with Johanan Luria's "Sefer ha-Derakah," in Prague (1597, 1612) and Amsterdam (1663, 1713)." Jewish Encyclopedia. This text was an early example of a "Sefer Midot." (see Israel Zinberg). This particular edition includes only "Sefer Ha-Gan." At sixteen pages (eight leaves) this edition is smaller than any of the other editions that include the second work "Sefer ha-Derakah." It is attested in Steinschneider and in Vinograd but appears to be quite uncommon. Most of the entries for this item in OCLC refer to other editions that clearly include both works. (83513) $350.00
Joseph ben Mordecai Gershon, ha-Kohen of Cracow.
She'elot u-teshuvot: ve-nikra be-shem She'erit Yosef. [Amsterdam], 1767. Octavo, brown leather spine worn at the edges with paper labels, marbled paper covered boards, 58 leaves, the last few leaves cut close to the edges of the text, lacking the free endpapers. Hardbound. Good. Text is in Hebrew. Contains, "Responsa and discussions on various rabbinical subjects, as well as a commentary on the "Mordechai" Tractates Nezikin, Berakot, and Mo'ed. In the preface the author states that he published this work at the request of his sons, Tanhuma and Aaron Moses, who were members of the Jewish community of Cracow. He also corrected the manuscript from which was printed the "Aggudah" of Alexandri HaKohain of Frankfurt." Jewish Encyclopedia. (83536) $395.00
Shimon Bar Yohai [putative author].
Sefer ha-zohar: al ha-Torah. Helek Rishon Sefer Bereshit. Amsterdam, Bi-defus ube-vet Shelomoh ben Yosef Props, 1715. Duodecimo, brown leather with raised bands with some worming to the spine leather and the leather of the front board, free front endpaper strongly soiled with some early pen, old rabbinic notes on the following blanks in three different hands, 152, 14 leaves (303, 29 pp.), some occasional internal soiling and water-staining, with some wear to the rear endpaper. Hardbound. Good-. Text is in Hebrew. Includes the text of the Zohar in parallel columns of "Midrash Ha-Na'alam." Published in three volumes. This is the first. The second volume was of Shemot and the final three books of Moses are in the last volume. Complete sets are rare. (83515) $395.00
Sources
Jewish Encyclopedia and the standard Hebrew bibliographical sources.
Luminet, Jean-Pierre."Willem Janszoon Blaeu." Online article, https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1503/1503.08327.pdf, retrieved last on 5/2/2017.
Printing and the Mind of Man Assembled at the British Museum and at Earls Court London 16-27 July 1963. London, Messrs F.W. Bridges & Sons Ltd. and The Assocation of British Manufacturers of Printer's Machinery (Proprietary) Ltd., 1963
Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in the Netherlands and Belgium and of Dutch and Flemish Books Printed in Other Countries from 1470 to 1600 now in the British Museum. London, Trustees of the British Museum, 1965.
Steinberg, S.H.
Five Hundred Years of Printing. New York, Criterion Books, 1959.
END
Edidin, Ben M., edited by. Shovuoth. Jewish Child Home Library. Chicago, IL, Board of Jewish Education, 1930s. Octavo, stapled paper covers, 48 pp., b/w drawings by Todros Geller and other artists throughout. Softbound. Very Good. An Uncommon Title. With texts from various authors. A well integrated selection of writings and illustrations. Edidin must have spent some time in Chicago, but he subsequently worked for a many years preparing educational materials for Jewish Educational Committee. Gellers work in this volume features the full page illustration reproduced here as well as head and tail pieces and small vignettes. Some of the art is from other sources. One E.M. Lilien illustrations is used and there are several silhouettes drawn from the Yiddish children's periodical, Kinder-Zshurnal. (86604) $75.00
Ibn Habib,Jacob ben Solomon. Kotnot Or. Or Kolel-Mosif al Sefer En Ya'akov: im hidushe Kohelet Shelomoh , Helek Rishon, Helek Sheni, Helek Shelishi. Mezritsh, Mezritsh, Slavita, Aleksander Pavelvitsh, 1808, 1808, 1818. Octavos, the first two volumes re-backed in black cloth with remnants of the original leather labels pasted down to the spine, third volume original brown leather roughly worn with some loss, soiled brown cloth covered boards, ii, vi, 202, 61 leaves all on blue paper, small owners ink-stamps and Russian language handwriting on the title page, staining to some pages + i, 62-130, 182, 155 leaves on blue paper, some soiled pages + soiled title-page with repairs at the corners, ii, 330 leaves on blue paper, repairs at the edges of a few pages not impinging on the text. Hardbound. Good. Text is in Hebrew. A made-up set (at some distant time) including the first two volumes being first printings of the Mezritch edition and a second printing of the Slavita edition rounding out the set. Slavita printings are highly fetishized in the Hasidic community but Mezritsh printing are fewer in number. (86644) $495.00
Mahazor Rosh ha-shanah ve-Yom ha-kipurim: ke-minhag Sefarad ... gam nimtsa kol ha-Likute Tsevi he-hadash ha-shayakh le-Yamim nora'im, Mishnayot im pe. katsar u-maspik mi-ba'al Tif'eret Yisrael; ve-atah hosafnu me-hadash pe.Yashan. Munich, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, 1949. Small octavo, dog-eared paper covers, 250 pp. Softbound. Good. Text is in Hebrew. A reprint of an earlier edition. (86591) $50.00
Obadiah Bertinoro; Yom Tov Lipmann ben Nathan ha-Levi ben Wallerstein Heller; Moses Maimonides, with commentaries by. Mishnayot. Seder Kodashim. Seder Tohorot. Dihrenfurt, Yosef Miya ben Mikhal, 1806/7. Royal octavo, half leather with wear to the leather of the spine and serious wear to the leather at the corners, black paper covered boards with the paper worn down and worn through altogether in large patches, 163, 223 leaves (772 pp.), dog-earing and lightly soiled throughout. Hardbound. Good. Text is in Hebrew. Commentaries in Rashi Script. The final two of the six Sidrei Mishnah all published together as a complete set and probably originally bound as three volumes. (86593) $180.00
Polak, G.L. and Ameringen, M.L. Van, edited by. Mahazor minhag Ashkenaz Le-Shabat Hol Ha-Mo'ed shel Sukot ule-Shmini Atseret ve-Simhat Torah. Amsterdam, J.L. Joachimsthal, 1875. Nieuwe, verbeterde en vermeerderde uitgave. Octavo, worn dark green cloth spine with remnants of the gold lettering, edgeworn black paper covered boards, lacking the endpapers, vi, iii, 162, 9 leaves, mildly yellowed paper. Hardbound. Good-. Text is in Hebrew with Dutch translation on facing pages. Preface is in Dutch. This new edition was first published in 1865. (86594) $40.00
Rosen, Ben & Chomsky, William , edited by. Sifriyah la-na'ar: Seryah A.
Philadelphia, PA, Associated Talmud Torahs of Philadelphia, Approved by
the Junior Hebrew Library Committee of the National Council of Jewish
Education, 1941. Octavo, stapled paper covers, 80 pp., b/w drawings by
Frances Bender. Softbound. Very Good. Text is in Hebrew. Bender is an almost unknown female artist. (86603)
$25.00
Seder Nashim ve-tikun ha-limud: she-yilmad adam mide shavua be-shavua Torah, Nevi'im, u-masekhet le-hashlimam le-shanah, ve-hem mesudarim al seder ha-parashiyo[t] ve-hu mekubal meha-ge'onim ha-kadmonim ... Venice, Appresso N.H. s. Alvise Bragadin, 1704/5. 32mo, full leather with wear at the edges, gold decorations to the spine, 154-232 leaves. Hardbound. Very Good-. Text is in Hebrew. A rare book. Talmud with no commentary. Bragadin was a competitor to Giustiani in mid-sixteenth century Venice. Several titles were published in the year 1704-1705 under that name which I can't explain. (86592) $295.00
Vaydenboim, Mosheh ben Shelomoh. Sefer Or Torat Mosheh: hidushim u-remazim al Hamishah humshe Torah. Oakland, California, The Author children, 1924/5. Small octavo, black cloth, 110 pp. Hardbound. Very Good. Text is in Hebrew. Rare. There are very few Hebrew language imprints from Oakland. The only regular Jewish publisher is EKS a producer of Hebrew language acquisition texts books beginning in the 1980s. I have not been able to find out anything about this obscure Rabbinic figure.(39900) $95.00
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